Acetylene-gas apparatus.



No. 674,698. Patented May 2|, l90l. 0. H. HAMPTON.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application-filed June 28, 1900.)

2 Shuts-Sheet I.

No Model.)

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AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Applicatinn filed June 28, 1900.)

Patented May 2|, m.

(No Model.)

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FFICE.

PATENT OLIVER H. HAMPTON, OF WILLIAMSBURG, INDIANA.

ACETYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,698, dated May 21,1901.

Application filed June 28, 1900. Serial No. 21,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. HAMPTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Williamsburg, in the county of Wayne and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and Improved Gas-Machine, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas machines; andthe object is to provide a gas-machine of novel construction in whichthe gas will be automatically generated and in which there will be nodanger of bursting by overpressure, and, further, to provide a means forautomatically maintaining a uniform water-level in the generator.

I will describe a gas-machine embodying my invention and then point outthe novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a gasmachine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of part of the same, and Fig.3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

The generator comprises a cylinder 1, upon which is arranged awater-tank 2, the said water-tank having a depending flange 3, designedto engage closely in the upper portion of the cylinder 1 and extendingbelow the water-line thereof, thus preventing any possible escape of gasexcept through an overflowpipe the upper end of which, outside of thecylinder 1, is extended out of doors. Extended upward from the bottom ofthe water-tank 2 and nearly to the top thereof is a pipe 4:, and a pipe5, having a funnel-top 6, is extended through the top of the water-tankdownward within thepipe 4 and nearly to the bottom thereof. Alsoextended through the top and bottom walls of the water-tank is afeed-pipe 7, having perforations 8 slightly above the bottom wall of thewater-tank and adapted to be closed by a piston-valve 9, having a stem10, extended upward through the pipe or tube 7. A valve-controlledvent-pipe 11 is arranged at the top of the water-tank.

Removably placed in the cylinder 1 is a tray-case 13, closed at thebottom and open at the top. Within the tray-case is arranged a series ofcarbid containers or trays l4=,formed into compartments, the said traysbeing arranged one above another, and each tray is provided with bails15 for convenience in removing it from. the tray-case. Each tray isprovided with a water-inlet 16 near its upper edge, and it will be notedthat the traycase is provided with a water-opening 18 near the top. Theupper open end of the traycase is closed by the top 21 of the water-sealjacket 12. At'the center of the top 21 is a dome 20, into which pipes 19and 25 are carried above the water-level in the cylinder 1. Within thedome the top 21 is provided with apertures, as indicated by an arrow,through which gas may pass into the dome. The jacket is removablyclamped over the tray-case by means of the jacket-pipe 19, the lower endof which is fastened to the bottom of the traycase, and the upperthreaded end of said pipe 19 engages in a screw-threaded opening 26 inthe top 21 within the dome, so that by rotating the jacket 12 it may bescrewed down and held tightly in position.

The bottom of the carbid-holder is provided with angular legs 22, thehorizontal portions of which are designed to engage underneath keepers23, secured to the inner side of the cylinder 1, and these legs are alsodesigned to rest upon brackets 2 1, arranged within the cylinder for apurpose to be hereinafter described.

The gas-pipe 25 passes upward through the jacket-pipe 19 and above thewater-level, and an overflow-pipe 27 is arranged in the cylinder 1 tocarry off water should the same rise above the required level. Thegas-feed pipe 25 leads into a gasometer consisting of a fixed cylinder28, in which is movable the bell 29. The pipe 25 connects with a pipe30, extended vertically in the 'gasometer, and in the upper portion ofthis pipe 30 is a valve 31, to the stem of which a lever 32 is attached,

the said lever being extended into a longitu dinally-slotted rod 33,arranged in the gasometer. A by-pass or tube 34 communicates with thepipe 30 below the valve 31 and is then extended upward and thendownward, its lower end terminating below the waterlevel in thegasometer. From the gasometer the gas passes through a pipe 35, whichcommunicates with an outletpipe 36.

In operation the above-described carbidholder will be submerged in thewater con tained in the cylinder and held in that position by theangular legs engaging underneath the keepers 23. It will be seen thatthe water will try to reach the same level both inside and outside ofthe carbid-holder and that it will rise between the walls of thetray-case 13 and the walls of the jacket 12 unless prevented by air orgas within the space between the walls of the tray-case and the jacket,and if the head of water in the cylinder 1 be high enough thewater-pressure will drive the air or gas that is between the wallsthroughthe" opening 18 in the tray-case and be followed by the water,which will run down through a boxing X, attached to the inner side ofthe tray-case, and over the opening 18, passingthrough an opening 17 atthe lower end of the boxing X, and will fi=ll beneath and around thelowest tray till it has risen to the Water-inlet 16 in the side of thetray, and thence into the first carbid-compartment of the tray-case, andthe generated gas will pass out through the opening of the tray and intothe gasometer through the pipes 25 and 30. The flow of Water and theproduction of gas will continue uninterruptedly so long as the relativeconditions of water-head and gaspressure remain the same; but if thehead of water be sufficiently decreased or the gaspressure sufficientlyincreased, so that the gas-pressure is the strongest, it will hold thewater below the water-opening 18, and further gas generation must ceasefor lack of water.

In connection with this device there is shown in Fig. 1 an ordinarystorage-gasometer, whose inlet-pipe 30 is fitted with a valve 31,operated by the lever 32, operated by the channel-bar 33, which risesand falls with the gasometerbell 29. When the valve 31 is open, as shownin the drawings, gas can pass freely into the gasometer, and asufficient water-head being maintained from the reservoir 2 gas-makingproceeds until the accumulation of gas under the gasometer-bell closesthe valve 31, and any gas made after the valve is closed must go throughthe by-pass 34, which has its outlet end immersed in the water, and theresistance of the water raises the pressure in the carbid-holdersufliciently to hold the water that is between the walls of thetray-case and the jacket below the opening 18 in the wall of thetray-case, so that no more water can get to the carbiduntil the gas onhand is drawn oit for use. The automatic production of gas can also beeifected by establishing by ineansof the outlet-pipe 7 a waterlevel toolow for the production of gas and using any suitable device for openingand closing the air-cock 11 as the gasometer-bell rises and falls or anyother device which will pour a suitable quantity of water into thecylinder 1 as it is needed.

It is evident that a nearly-constant waterlevel must be maintained inthe cylinder 1, and for this purpose I provide the reservoir 2. When thereservoir 2 is to be filled, the vent 11 must be opened and the valve 9moved downward to close the openings 8. Then water poured into the pipe5 will pass downward and then upward between said pipe 5 and theinterior of the pipe 4 and over the upper end of said pipe 4. When thetank is filled, the water between the pipes 4 and 5 will form a seal toprevent the entrance of air. After filling the tank the vent 11 must beclosed and the valve 9 is to be moved upward to open the perforations'8. If the water-level in the cylinder 1 is high enough to cover thelower end of the pipe '7, no water will flow through it; but wheneverthe end of said pipe is opened by the Water falling below it the waterwill flow from the tank 2 into the cylinder.

As before stated, if from any cause the water-level gets too high in thetank it is carried off through the pipe 27.

When the carbid charge is to be renewed in the several holders, the saidholders, with the tray and tank, are to be rotated, releasing the legs22 from the keepers 23, and then by lifting the said parts upwardthe'legs may be engaged on the brackets 24, which brings the top of thetray-case above the water-level, so it can be opened without waterentering. Of course before this is done the water-tank 2 must beremoved.

One advantage of the above-described apparatus is that the carbid-holderis entirely submerged in an ample quantity of water, and therefore thegas is kept cool. Another advantage is that the gas generation begins 1claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Agas-machine,comprising a generatingcylinder, a tray case removablyarranged therein and having awvater-inlet near its top, a boxingconnected to the inner side of the tray-case over said inlet and havingan opening at the bottom, a jacket around the traycase and having a topforming a closure for the tray-case, a dome on the top of the jacket andcommunicating with the interior of the tray-case, means for removablysecuring the jacket in place and a series of carbid-trays arranged, oneupon another, in the case, each tray having a water-inlet in its side,substantially as specified.

2. A gas-machine, comprising a generatingcylinder, a tray-case arrangedin the cylinder and having a water-inlet near its top, a jacketsurrounding the case, the top of said jacket forming a closure for thecase, a dome on said cover communicating with the tray case throughopenings in the cover, the said cover having a screw-threaded openingWithin the dome,a jacket-pipe connected to the bottom of the tray-caseand having a threaded upper end for engaging in said threaded opening, agasdischarge pipe leading through the jacketpipe and extended into thedome and carbidtrays arranged in the case and surrounding thejacket-pipe, substantially as specified.

3. A gas-machine, comprising a generatingcylinder, carbid-holdersarranged in the cylinder, a water-tank placed removably on the top ofsaid cylinder, a pipe leading upward from the bottom of said tank, apipe leading through the top of said tank and into the first-named pipe,there being a space between the two pipes, a pipe leading through theupper and lower walls of the tank, a valve for controlling perforationsin the lower portion of said pipe, and a Vent for the tank,substantially as specified.

